Paying for Care

Pay My Bill

Pay My Bill

About Your Bill – Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle Children’s sends your insurance company a bill using the information you give us at registration.

The insurance company reviews the bill and pays or denies its part:

If Seattle Children’s has a contract with your insurance company, then the total charges are reduced, like a discount. Most insurance companies call this discounted amount an “adjustment.” What is left over is called the “allowed amount.”

If you have not met your deductible for the year, you must pay costs up to the deductible amount before insurance will pay anything. After you have met your deductible, you may be responsible for a portion of the allowed amount. This is called coinsurance. Some health services do not have coinsurance and deductibles.

After your insurance company pays its portion of the allowed amount, or processes the claim, you will receive an explanation of benefits from them.

Seattle Children’s sends you a bill for the amount you owe. Your cost includes unpaid copay, your coinsurance and any remaining amount up to your annual deductible or “out-of-pocket maximum.” If your insurance plan pays the full allowed amount, you will not receive a bill.

If your child lives in Washington, Alaska, Montana or Idaho and is currently enrolled in a Medicaid plan, then all medically necessary services are fully covered. You will not receive bills.

If you have been approved for 100% coverage from Seattle Children’s Financial Assistance, you will not receive bills. If you have a sliding-scale financial assistance plan, you will receive reduced bills.

In most cases, you will receive one bill from Seattle Children’s for medical services. If your child sees a mental health or dental provider, you will receive a separate bill for these. This means you may get more than one statement for the same date of care. These bills will include provider fees and applicable facility fees. See Clinic and Urgent Care Facility Charges (PDF) for more information.

You may receive a separate bill from other providers and services if your child:

Was treated by a primary care provider (PCP) while in the hospital

Arrived here by airplane, helicopter or ambulance (Airlift Northwest)

Arrived here by ambulance (American Medical Response). You may also get a bill from an EMT (emergency medical technician or medic) and/or an emergency transport company that is not listed here.

Received treatment from a physician in the hyperbaric chamber (Virginia Mason) or had radiation or proton therapy (UW Physicians)

Seattle Children’s Financial Assistance does not cover bills for these services. If you have questions about bills from the type of providers listed above, contact the company that sent you the bill.

Our providers provide services for independent clinics and physicians and some of them also see patients at other hospitals. When this happens, the bill for the services comes from Seattle Children’s.back to top

Remote Access

Seattle Children’s complies with applicable federal and other civil rights laws and does not discriminate, exclude people or treat them differently based on race, color, religion (creed), sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin (ancestry), age, disability, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state or local law. Financial assistance for medically necessary services is based on family income and hospital resources and is provided to children under age 21 whose primary residence is in Washington, Alaska, Montana or Idaho.

By clicking “Accept All Cookies,” you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage and assist in marketing efforts. For more information, see Website Privacy.